spagyric, n. and a. Obs. exc. Hist.
(spəˈdʒɪrɪk)
Forms: α. 6 spagirique, 7– spagiric (7 -ick); 6–7 spagericke, 7 spargerick. β. 7–8 spagyrick, 7– spagyric.
[ad. early mod.L. spagiricus (used, and prob. invented, by Paracelsus), whence also F. spagirique († spargirique Cotgr.), It. spargirico, -ica, Sp. and Pg. espagirico, -ica.]
A. n.
† 1. The science of alchemy or chemistry.
| 1593 G. Harvey Pierce's Super. 29 Yet who such monarches for Phisique, Chirurgery, Spagirique,..as some of these arrant impostors? 1605 Timme Quersit. iii. 183 Alchymie or Spagyrick..is the inuenter and schoolmistresse of distillation. |
2. An alchemist.
| 1593 G. Harvey Pierce's Super. Wks. (Grosart) II. 251 The greatest Empiriques, Spagiriques, Cabalists,..and occult Philosophers. 1613 Drummond of Hawthornden Cypress Grove Wks. (1711) 127 Can the spagyrick by his art restore, for a Space, to the dry and withered Rose, the natural Purple and Blush. 1645 Bp. Hall Discontentm. §4. 14 Like to some cunning Spagirick, that can intend or remit the heat of his furnace according to occasion. 1867 Cornh. Mag. Mar. 369 A traveller who saw the celebrated spagyric at the Hague, represents him as still adhering to his old spiritual tricks. |
B. adj. Pertaining to alchemy; alchemical.
| α 1596 J. Hester tr. Paracelsus' Exper. & Cures F, The Spagericke Antidotarie of the preparation and making of medicines against Goonshot. 1605 Timme Quersit. iii. 153 They which are but meanely seene in the spargerick art, and haue been chymists a very short time. 1656 W. Dugard tr. Comenius' Gate Lat. Unl. §706. 227 At this day Spagirick (or Hermetick) Physic is in request. 1681 tr. Willis' Rem. Med. Wks. Vocab., Spagiric, belonging to alchymie, or to the chymical art. 1737 Bracken Farriery Impr. (1757) II. 280 Skilful in the Spagiric Art, as well as the Art of Medicine. 1833 Carlyle Misc. Ess. (1872) V. 106 He is distributing spagiric food, medicine for the poor. 1856 R. A. Vaughan Mystics (1860) II. 103 Medical practitioners of the old school, who denounced the spagiric method. 1891 Q. Rev. Oct. 408 The pretension to ‘spagiric’ immortality of Cagliostro. |
| β c 1643 Ld. Herbert Autobiog. (1824) 49 As for the Chymic or Spagyric Medicines, I cannot commend them to the use of my posterity. 1660 J. H[arding] Basil. Valent. Chariot Antim. 67 Antimony..being by Spagyrick Art transmuted, becomes medicinal. 1716 M. Davies Athen. Brit. II. 395 Medicinally Charitable to the Publick by his Spagyrick Repositary. 1844 Hecker Epid. Middle Ages 273 The severe metallic remedies of the Spagyric school. 1899 Literature 18 Feb. 181 The sages, those who practised the true spagyric art. |